阅读说明：本技术 一种射频发生系统和局部线圈 (Radio frequency generation system and local coil ) 是由 汪坚敏 张秋艺 戴光宝 李志宾 佟瞳 闫飞勇 于 2018-08-10 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种射频发生系统和局部线圈,其产生具有与利用特定第一频率进行磁共振成像的第一射频信号不同的第二频率的第二射频信号,包括：一频率合成器(11),产生用于与利用所述第一射频信号在被检测部位产生的磁共振信号进行混频的具有特定第三频率的本振信号；一局部线圈(13),连接于所述频率合成器,并利用所述本振信号来产生所述第二射频信号,所述局部线圈包括：一分频单元(1331),利用所述分频单元从所述本振信号得到具有所述本振信号的第三频率与所述第二射频信号的第二频率之差的差值频率的差频信号；一混频单元(1332),将所述本振信号与所述差频信号合成为具有所述第二频率的所述第二射频信号。(A radio frequency generation system and local coil that generates a second radio frequency signal having a second frequency different from a first radio frequency signal for magnetic resonance imaging with a particular first frequency, comprising: a frequency synthesizer (11) for generating a local oscillation signal having a specific third frequency for mixing with a magnetic resonance signal generated at the detected portion by the first radio frequency signal; a local coil (13) coupled to the frequency synthesizer and configured to generate the second radio frequency signal using the local oscillator signal, the local coil comprising: a frequency dividing unit (1331) for obtaining a difference frequency signal having a difference frequency of a difference between a third frequency of the local oscillator signal and a second frequency of the second radio frequency signal from the local oscillator signal by using the frequency dividing unit; and a frequency mixing unit (1332) for synthesizing the local oscillator signal and the difference frequency signal into the second radio frequency signal with the second frequency.)

1. A radio frequency generation system for generating a second radio frequency signal having a second frequency different from a first radio frequency signal for magnetic resonance imaging with a specific first frequency, comprising:

a frequency synthesizer for generating a local oscillation signal having a specific third frequency for mixing with a magnetic resonance signal generated at a detected site by the first radio frequency signal;

a local coil connected to the frequency synthesizer and generating the second RF signal using the local oscillator signal,

the local coil includes:

a frequency dividing unit which is used for obtaining a difference frequency signal (12.5MHz) with a difference frequency of the difference between the third frequency of the local oscillator signal and the second frequency of the second radio frequency signal from the local oscillator signal;

and the frequency mixing unit is used for synthesizing the local oscillator signal and the difference frequency signal into the second radio frequency signal with the second frequency.

2. The radio frequency generation system of claim 1,

the frequency dividing unit and the frequency mixing unit are respectively a frequency divider and a frequency mixer or a frequency dividing part and a frequency mixing part realized by a complex programmable logic device.

3. The radio frequency generation system of claim 1,

the local oscillator signal from the frequency synthesizer is input to the local coil via the receive channel selector.

4. The radio frequency generation system of claim 1,

the local oscillator signal includes signals of a plurality of frequencies,

the local coil further includes a first filter, where the first filter filters the signals of the plurality of frequencies of the local oscillator signal and retains a signal of one of the frequencies as a local oscillator signal of the specific third frequency.

5. The radio frequency generation system of claim 1,

the local coil further includes a converter that converts the local oscillator signal input to the local coil from a sinusoidal signal to a square wave signal.

6. A local coil for generating a second radio frequency signal having a second frequency different from a first radio frequency signal for magnetic resonance imaging with a particular first frequency, comprising:

an input end for inputting a local oscillator signal for mixing with a magnetic resonance signal generated at a detected part by using the first radio frequency signal;

a frequency dividing unit that separates a difference frequency signal having a difference frequency of a difference between the first frequency and the second frequency from the local oscillator signal;

and the frequency mixing unit is used for synthesizing the local oscillator signal and the difference frequency signal into the second radio frequency signal with the second frequency.

7. Local coil according to claim 6,

the frequency division unit and the frequency mixing unit are complex programmable logic devices.

8. Local coil according to claim 6,

the local oscillator signal includes signals of a plurality of frequencies,

the local coil further includes a first filter, where the first filter filters the signals of the plurality of frequencies of the local oscillator signal and retains a signal of one of the frequencies as a local oscillator signal of the specific third frequency.

9. Local coil according to claim 6,

the local coil further includes a converter that converts the local oscillator signal input to the local coil from a sinusoidal signal to a square wave signal.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a radio frequency generation system and a local coil for generating a radio frequency signal for exciting an object to be examined to perform magnetic resonance imaging using a local oscillation signal of a magnetic resonance imaging system.

Background

In a current magnetic resonance imaging system, for example, a 1.5 tesla magnetic resonance imaging system, a first radio frequency signal having a specific frequency of, for example, 63.6Mhz (first frequency) is emitted to a region to be detected of an object, thereby generating a magnetic resonance signal at the region to be detected, and the magnetic resonance signal is received by a receiving coil, mixed with a local oscillation signal of, for example, 55Mhz/75Mhz generated by a frequency synthesizer, and received by a radio frequency receiver. In magnetic resonance imaging, however, the radio frequency excitation signal is not entirely a first radio frequency signal at a first frequency, e.g., 63.6Mhz, and for some sites, such as the respiratory system, the radio frequency excitation signal is a second radio frequency signal at 62.5Mhz (second frequency). Therefore, for such a second radio frequency signal, it is necessary to provide a frequency synthesizer provided in the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus main body (system) with a second radio frequency signal generation device in addition to the local oscillation signal generation device. This results in the need to modify the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus main body, which requires a lot of time and labor.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above, the present invention provides a method for transmitting a radio frequency signal of a second frequency different from the larmor frequency (first frequency) of a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus without changing the system design of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a radio frequency generation system that generates a second radio frequency signal having a second frequency different from a first radio frequency signal for magnetic resonance imaging with a specific first frequency, including: a frequency synthesizer for generating a local oscillation signal having a specific third frequency for mixing with a magnetic resonance signal generated at a detected site by the first radio frequency signal; a local coil coupled to the frequency synthesizer and configured to generate the second rf signal using the local oscillator signal, the local coil comprising: a frequency dividing unit, configured to obtain, from the local oscillator signal, a difference frequency signal having a difference frequency between a third frequency of the local oscillator signal and a second frequency of the second radio frequency signal; and the frequency mixing unit is used for synthesizing the local oscillator signal and the difference frequency signal into the second radio frequency signal with the second frequency.

In addition, in the radio frequency generation system, it is preferable that the frequency dividing unit and the frequency mixing unit are complex programmable logic devices.

In addition, in the radio frequency generation system, it is preferable that a reception channel selector is further included, and the local oscillation signal from the frequency synthesizer is input to the local coil via the reception channel selector.

In addition, in the radio frequency generation system, it is preferable that the local oscillation signal includes signals of a plurality of frequencies, and the local coil further includes a first filter that filters the signals of the plurality of frequencies of the local oscillation signal and retains a signal of one of the frequencies as the local oscillation signal of the specific third frequency.

Further, in the radio frequency generation system described above, it is preferable that the local coil further includes a converter that converts the local oscillation signal input to the local coil from a sinusoidal signal to a square wave signal.

Furthermore, another embodiment of the present invention provides a local coil that generates a second radio frequency signal having a second frequency different from a first radio frequency signal for magnetic resonance imaging with a specific first frequency, including: an input end for inputting a local oscillator signal for mixing with a magnetic resonance signal generated at a detected part by using the first radio frequency signal; a frequency dividing unit that separates a difference frequency signal having a difference frequency of a difference between the first frequency and the second frequency from the local oscillator signal; and the frequency mixing unit is used for synthesizing the local oscillator signal and the difference frequency signal into the second radio frequency signal with the second frequency.

In the local coil, it is preferable that the frequency dividing means and the frequency mixing means be complex programmable logic devices.

In addition, in the local coil, it is preferable that the local oscillator signal includes signals of a plurality of frequencies, and the local coil further includes a first filter that filters the signals of the plurality of frequencies of the local oscillator signal and retains a signal of one of the frequencies as the local oscillator signal of the specific third frequency.

Further, in the above-described local coil, it is preferable that the local coil further includes a converter that converts the local oscillation signal input to the local coil from a sinusoidal signal to a square wave signal.

According to the radio frequency generation system of the present embodiment, it is not necessary to additionally provide, in the frequency synthesizer, a radio frequency generation device for generating a second radio frequency signal having a second frequency, in addition to the local oscillation signal generation device, and it is only necessary to change the design of the local coil section. Thereby avoiding the modification of the main body (system part) of the magnetic resonance imaging device, and only the design of the local coil needs to be changed to be applied to the existing magnetic resonance imaging device system.

Drawings

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates upon consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 shows a radio frequency generation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows a radio frequency generation system according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

Wherein the reference numbers are as follows:

10. a radio frequency generation system;

11. a frequency synthesizer;

12. a reception channel selection unit;

13. a local coil;

131. first filter

132. A converter;

133. a complex programmable logic device;

1331. frequency division part (frequency division unit)

143. A frequency divider (frequency dividing unit);

1332. a mixer (mixing means);

144. a mixer (mixing unit);

134. 145 a second filter;

135. 146 transmitter coil

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent, the present invention is further described in detail by referring to the following examples.

"exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration" herein, and any illustration, embodiment, or steps described as "exemplary" herein should not be construed as a preferred or advantageous alternative.

For the sake of simplicity, the drawings only schematically show the parts relevant to the present invention, and they do not represent the actual structure as a product. In addition, for simplicity and clarity of understanding, only one of the components having the same structure or function is schematically illustrated or labeled in some of the drawings.

First embodiment

In a magnetic resonance imaging system of, for example, 1.5 tesla, a first radio frequency signal (first radio frequency signal) having a first frequency corresponding to a larmor frequency, for example, 63.6Mhz (first frequency) is emitted to a region to be examined of an object, and thereby a magnetic resonance signal is generated at the region to be examined, which is received by a receiving coil (not shown) and mixed with local oscillation signals of, for example, 55Mhz and 75Mhz (third frequency) generated by a frequency synthesizer 11, and then received by a radio frequency receiver. However, in magnetic resonance imaging, the radio frequency excitation signals used to generate the magnetic resonance signals are not all first radio frequency signals at a first frequency, e.g. 63.6Mhz, and for some sites, e.g. the respiratory system, the radio frequency excitation signals are second radio frequency signals at 62.5Mhz (second frequency). In this regard, the inventors of the present application generated the second radio frequency signal having the second frequency by using the local oscillation signal.

Fig. 1 illustrates a radio frequency generation system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The radio frequency generation system 10 is for use in a magnetic resonance imaging system for generating a second radio frequency signal having a second frequency different from a first radio frequency signal of a first frequency. As shown in fig. 1, the rf generation system 10 includes: a frequency synthesizer 11, a reception channel selection unit 12 and a local coil 13. In the present embodiment, the frequency synthesizer 11 generates local oscillation signals LO of, for example, 55MHz and 75MHz, which can be output to the local coil 13 via the reception channel selection unit 12, and which can be mixed with the magnetic resonance signal generated at the site to be detected by the first radio frequency signal, as in the related art.

Further, as shown in fig. 1, the local coil 13 is provided with a first filter 131, a converter 132, and a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD) 133, and in the present embodiment, the first filter 131 filters out a low frequency signal (55MHz) of the local oscillation signal LO, and a high frequency signal (75MHz) is retained, and the local oscillation signal LO 'from which the low frequency signal is filtered is input to the converter 132, where the converter 132 converts the local oscillation signal LO' from a sine wave signal to a square wave signal. The converted local oscillation signal LO' is input to the complex programmable logic device 133. In the complex programmable logic device 133, the local oscillation signal LO' obtains a difference signal DS (here, 12.5Mhz) having a difference frequency of a difference between the third frequency (here, 75Mhz) of the local oscillation signal LO and the second frequency (here, 62.5Mhz) of the second radio frequency signal by the frequency dividing section 1331. Here, it is only necessary to obtain the difference signal DS by multiplying 1/6 the local oscillation signal LO' by the frequency divider 1331. Further, the mixing section 1332 synthesizes the obtained difference signal DS and the high-frequency local signal LO 'to obtain a second radio frequency signal TS having a second frequency, and the mixing section 1332 performs an exclusive or (XOR) operation on the local signal LO' and the difference signal DS. Here, in the complex programmable logic device 133, the frequency dividing section 1331 and the frequency mixing section 1332 are implemented by software. The second radio frequency signal TS having the second frequency obtained by the frequency mixing section 1332 is further transmitted to the subject by the transmission coil 135 after passing through the second filter 134.

According to the radio frequency generation system of the present embodiment, it is not necessary to additionally provide radio frequency generation means for generating a second radio frequency signal having a second frequency in the frequency synthesizer other than the local oscillation signal generation means, and it is only necessary to change the design of the local coil section 13. Thereby avoiding the modification of the main body (system part) of the magnetic resonance imaging device, and only the design of the local coil needs to be changed to be applied to the existing magnetic resonance imaging device system.

Fig. 2 shows a radio frequency generation system 10 according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the frequency dividing unit 143 and the frequency mixing unit 144 are the same as the embodiment shown in fig. 1 except that they are different from the embodiment of fig. 1. As shown in fig. 2, the rf generation system 10 includes: a frequency synthesizer 11, a reception channel selection unit 12 and a local coil 14. In the present embodiment, the frequency synthesizer 11 generates local oscillation signals LO of, for example, 55MHz and 75MHz, which can be output to the local coil 14 via the reception channel selection unit 12, and which can be mixed with a magnetic resonance signal generated at the site to be examined by a first radio frequency signal (for example, a radio frequency signal of 63.6 MHz), as in the related art.

The local coil 14 is provided with a first filter 141, a converter 142, a frequency divider 143, and a mixer 144. In this embodiment, the first filter 141 filters out the low frequency signal (55MHz) of the local oscillation signal LO, and retains the high frequency signal (75MHz), and the local oscillation signal LO 'from which the low frequency signal is filtered out is input to the converter 142, where the converter 142 converts the local oscillation signal LO' from a sine wave signal to a square wave signal. In addition, the local oscillation signal LO 'with the low frequency signal filtered out is used to obtain a difference signal DS (here, 12.5Mhz) having a difference frequency of a difference between the third frequency (here, 75Mhz) of the local oscillation signal LO' and the second frequency (here, 62.5Mhz) of the second rf signal by using the frequency divider 143. Here, the local oscillator signal LO' only needs to be divided by the frequency divider 143 into the difference signal DS of 12.5 Mhz. Further, the mixer 144 synthesizes the obtained difference signal DS and the high-frequency local oscillation signal LO 'to obtain a second radio frequency signal TS having a second frequency, and the mixer 144 performs an exclusive or (XOR) operation on the local oscillation signal LO' and the difference signal DS. Here, it should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the frequency divider 143 and the mixer 144 may be implemented by currently known circuit hardware. The second radio frequency signal TS having the second frequency obtained by the mixer 144 is further transmitted to the subject by the transmitting coil 146 after passing through the second filter 145.

According to the radio frequency generation system of the present embodiment, it is not necessary to additionally provide radio frequency generation means for generating a second radio frequency signal having a second frequency in the frequency synthesizer other than the local oscillation signal generation means, and it is only necessary to change the design of the local coil section 14. Thereby avoiding the modification of the main body (system part) of the magnetic resonance imaging device, and only the design of the local coil needs to be changed to be applied to the existing magnetic resonance imaging device system.

In the present embodiment, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus using 1.5 tesla is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and an imaging apparatus of 3 tesla, for example, can be applied to the present invention.

Furthermore, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the radio frequency signal formed by the frequency dividing unit and the frequency mixing unit is not limited to be used as a radio frequency excitation signal emitted to the detected object, and can also be used for other purposes, such as positioning detection of a coil.

The above description is only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention, and any modifications, equivalents, improvements and the like that fall within the spirit and principle of the present invention are intended to be included therein.